Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs 
Government approves the construction of the New Line between Vaibhavwadi – Kolhapur  
The proposed link would reduce the distance for thermal coal transportation for a number of power plants in Maharashtra and Karnataka
The project is expected to benefit the districts of Belgaum, Ballari, Gulbarga, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Latur, Beed & Solapur by creating a shorter evacuation route to western ports
These districts would be benefitting immensely with the proposal of world class infrastructure coming up on the west coast
Vijaydurg port, Gulbarga, Adilabad and nearby industrial clusters will be able to exploit the closeness to west coast with the advent of the Vaibhavwadi-Kolhapur line
This project will generate employment direct during construction for about 26 lakh mandays
The total estimated cost of this project is Rs. 3,439 crore & will be completed by 2023-24
The Government has approved Ministry of Railways plan to construct the New Line between Vaibhavwadi – Kolhapur   with an estimated cost of Rs. 3,439 crore. The project will be completed by 2023-24 and will be executed by Construction Organization of Central Railway.
The proposed alignment from Vaibhavwadi to Kolhapur  passes through the districts of Kolhapur, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg of Maharashtra state. The proposed alignment would link Kolhapur railway station  on the existing Pune-Kolhapur section of Central Railway with Vaibhavwadi Railway Station on the existing Roha-Madgaon section of Konkan Railway. The proposed link would reduce the distances for thermal coal transportation for a number of power plants in Maharashtra and Karnataka.
The addition of Vaibhavwadi-Kolhapur  is expected to directly benefit the districts of Belgaum, Ballari, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Latur, & Solapur and create a shorter evacuation route to western ports as there is a lack of Rail connectivity between Central and Konkan regions leads to longer supply routes for power plants in the Northern Karnataka and Southern Maharashtra region which affects supply coming from ports like Mumbai, JNPT, Krishnapatnam and New Mangalore due to longer rail route of Ratnagiri-Panvel-Pune route.
Kolhapur cluster, as part of western Maharashtra, has a vibrant industrial belt which consists of manufacturing based industries, auto parts and ancillary, sugar manufacturing, textiles, edible oil processing factories etc. With the increased industrial development in and nearby area of west coast, imports are going to increase in future. Also, with the proposal of world class infrastructure coming up at Jaigad and Vijaydurg on the west coast, the district would be benefitting immensely. Thus, with the advent of the Vaibhavwadi-Kolhapur  line and the upcoming Vijaydurg port, Gulbarga, Adilabad and the nearby industrial clusters will be able to exploit the closeness to west coast.
There will also be reduction in distance and time taken for freight trains running on the existing Vaibhavwadi-Roha-Pune route and Miraj-Pune-Panvel-Pen route if the same is routed via the Vaibhavwadi–Kolhapur  project line. This project will also generate employment direct during construction for about 26 lakh mandays.